Approximately the in middle of the nineteenth century a number of artists, principally Jean Francois Millet, Theadore Rousseau, Corot and Daubigny, began to paint outdoors, en plein air. They lived in and around Barbizon, France, a small village near the Fountainbleau Forest. They wished to escape the urbanization that was occurring throughout France and so […]

American born John Singer Sargent rose to acclaim by painting formal society portraits in oil. His abilities to accurately capture the personalities and nuance of his subjects led him to do commissioned work around the world. However, what many don’t realize is that he broke almost entirely away from oil and portraiture later in his […]

In his memoir, Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain wrote, “The face of the water, in time became a wonderful book—a book that was a dead language to the uneducated passenger, but which told its mind to me without reserve, delivering its most cherished secrets as clearly as if it uttered them with a voice. […]

On one of those cold, wintry days when all of the color is drained from the landscape and the world is painted in compressed values of dreariness, I happened upon an exceptional exhibit. My wife urged me to drive to the Linda Hall Library on the Campus of UMKC. Just inside was the extraordinary exhibit […]

As the name implies, stl250 is the celebration of St.Louis’ 250th anniversary. From grassroots to grand scale, this milestone is all about coming together as a community to rediscover the stories of our rich heritage. The Sheldon Concert Hall exhibition, “Imagining the Founding of St. Louis,” is a stl250 event that helps tell the unique […]

Here we are again: January and a new year. As we look ahead, what are our hopes? As we look back, what have we learned, what have we left undone? The month of January was wisely named after Janus, a Roman god often depicted with two heads facing in opposite directions—one looking back to the […]

It’s that time of year when traditionally we reach out by letter or card to friends, relatives, customers and suppliers whether frequently or infrequently seen. These holiday wishes are best sent and received with ink on paper. It shows one really cares when time is invested in a personal message. Once again, I offer my […]

In December Jean Bragg Gallery, New Orleans finest representational gallery, will be having an exhibit of New Orleans river paintings. My painting of the Natchez undergoing paddle replacement alongside the wharf at the French Quarter was used in their announcement of the exhibition. The reception opening the exhibition will be on Saturday, December 7th, in […]

October 2013 My work, Tis the Season, was published in North Light’s recent book, Incite: Dreams Realized. It was an honor to have the work included. Tis the Season was one of my annual Christmas/holiday works. It has been printed as a holiday card by a number of individuals and firms.